Shapoorji Mistry and Dadachanji-led Kaisha Group to enter pharma space

Plans to launch brands in antacids, analgesics, blood thinners, bump up hiring

Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry and Kairus Dadachanjii-led Kaisha Group, which recently exited a joint venture with German speciality glass company Schott, is now looking to launch its own pharma products in about six months.

Kaisha Group has several companies under its fold such as Kaisha Lifesciences, Sovereign Pharma, Kaisha Packaging, which cover the entire value chain from drug manufacturing to packaging. The Dadachanjis and Mistry now plan to tap the frontend of the pharma value chain by launching their own brands.

For starters, Kaisha Lifesciences has already developed some 8-9 products, most of which are already registered in India. Rishad Dadachanji, managing director of Kaisha Lifesciences, told Business Standard that these products are antacids, analgesics and blood thinners. “We have a 25-member R&D team at Kaisha, and we are also adding more people. During the past few years, we have invested around Rs 50 crore or so in product development,” he added.

The firm is now recruiting a sales force and putting up a front-end team. “We are targeting to launch some products in the market in around six months' time,” Dadachanji said. The group plans to start from the Mumbai market and slowly spread to other geographies.

The reason it exited the Schott joint venture was to focus on its pharmaceutical business.

Kaisha’s products will be manufactured by group firm, Sovereign Pharma which is a contract manufacturer of injectables, ampoules etc. It makes complex products like the antiviral remdesivir, which is used to treat Covid-19 patients. Sovereign currently manufactures on contract basis for multinationals like Pfizer, Novartis, Mylan apart from Indian pharma firms.

Dadachanji says the group plans to add more production lines to Sovereign Pharma’s plant at Daman.

The Dadachanjis also have another unit, Kairesh Innotech, which does not have investments from Mistry. Kairesh Innotech develops drug delivery systems. Dadachanji says that he would use these innovations in his products to create an edge over the other brands available in the market.